Ha! I cannot believe I just said that. Well, now I know how to play his stupid little game. I can be cool just like him. Boy, when I said that comment his eyes were huge! However, the jackass then interrupted my quiet victory.

"You sure are the fiesty one nowadays, aren't you? Are you makin' me some breakfast?" he said with that cocky grin of his.

Damnit. Why does he always know what buttons to press? Before I turned around to scoop my omelet out of the pan, I smiled as sweetly as possible and replied with, "Nope. You must be dreamin' if I ever cook you anythin'."

I turned around and saw that he had made his way to the kitchen table. Annoyed, I took my plate and as calmly as I could, sat down across from him.

"Damn Tif, when did that Nibelheim accent of yours kick in so profoundly?"

I swallowed my food before I answered, "When I decided to not take shit from people anymore." I thought that would shut him up, and it did...for about four seconds. I swear, he loves to hear himself talk sometimes.

"So, where are you goin' in that outfit of yours?" he said nodding his head in my direction.

That's it. My temper is gone. "Quite frankly, I don't think that it's any of your damn business where I go or how I dress, Cloud Strife. You're not my father, you're not my husband, and you've lost my friendship. I don't even know why I've let you stay here or even be around me this mornin'. Why do you keep prodding me with your damn questions, when we both know that we hate eachother?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but my cell phone started to ring. I got out of my seat and walked behind Cloud, to the place on the counter where the cellular device sat. When I picked it up and looked at the screen, the number was unfamiliar to me.

"Hello?" I said, slightly confused.

"Chere...I'm so so sorry."

Of course, I recognized that voice and that damn accent, and my body grew tense.


"Louis, where are you?" I asked the question more calmly than I expected.

"I'm down here in Nouveau Rivage. I had t' come back to my home, jus fo' a lil' bit, Chere. I can tell ya everyt'ing that you want me to. Please, Tifa. I love you more 'dan anyt'ing in dis world. Jus let me tell ya what's been goin' on. I've been keepin' it from ya, so it wouldn't hurt you..." It sounded like he was on the verge of tears. My husband never cries, so this obviously must have hurt him. Louis never keeps secrets from me either, so I begin to wonder what's really been goin' on.

I sighed heavily into the reciever, "Louis...it doesn't matter-"

"Yes it does matta, Chere! You and Matthew are da only two things that matta ta me in dis world. Now listen ta me, bebe. Please jus listen to me."

At this point I was worried out of my mind. Louis barely mentions his five year old son to me...ever. This was because Matthew's mother, Louis' first wife, would not let Louis see his son because of me. She thought that I would try and take her son away. Then again, there's the fact that she hates me because she's still in love with Louis, and he married me.

"Tifa?"

"I'm sorry, baby. Please, tell me what's goin' on."

Now it was his turn to sigh. "For da past coupla 'o months, Bella's been callin' me." My heart stopped when he said that. His first wife and I do not get along at all since she's a freakin' lunatic.

"Why?" I blurted out.

"She's got herself in some trouble down here, Chere. She kept on callin' me, tellin' me she's scared fo' her and Matthew's lives. Ya know, Chere, I could give a damn what happens to Belle. It's my son I'm worried 'bout."

"I know, baby, I know." I replied, while nodding my head. Cloud must be lookin' at me like I'm stupid.

"She got involved wit' da head man in charge o' one of da old mafia down here. She ended up cheatin' on him and...now she's three months pregnant wit' 'de otha man's bebe. So, maintenant, she got dat head man afta her and Matthew."

I had no clue what to say. I was in total shock. However, he still didn't explain why he was all over that girl at my club last night.

"You there, Chere?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry 'bout last night. I know you surprised at all of 'dis 'cause I 'sho am too. I found all 'o dis out yesterday 'cause Belle..she called me while I was at work. So from da time I found out 'bout all 'o 'dis, I was already halfway drunk. WHen I got t' da club, I was gone... and I don't really know what happend, Chere, da only t'ing I remember is that cocky son of a bitch up in our house...tryin' to start somethin' and I ended up leavin' and comin' here 'cause of Matthew."

I was tryin' to take all of this in. Leave it to Belladonna to screw things up for everybody. That woman is just crazy.

"Chere, you ok?"

"Yes, Louis. I'm fine. I understand what's goin' on now."

"Can ya forgive me?"

I sighed. After all, he is my husband. He is the man that I love. Love conquers all, right? "Yes. It's ok, baby."

"I love you, mon amour."

"Je t'aime, aussi. How long are you goin' to be gone?" I asked.

"Maybe a couple 'o months or less. Jus' enough time to get everyt'ing worked out, and where I can have my son. Before you say a word, ain't nobody down here 'gone mess with me, 'cause they know who I am. It's you 'dat I'm worried about. You wanna come down here, or you 'gone be alright up there by yo'self? Trust me, bebe, it's killin' dis Cajun, bein' wit'out you."

"Now you know it's not." I joked.

"Oh yes it is. You jus' don't know, how much I love you and I miss you. You 'gone be alright while I'm gone?"

"Yeah...I've got Cloud here and-"

He almost yelled into the phone, "What? What da hell is dat bastard doin' in my house?"

Big mistake, Lockheart. You should've just kept your mouth shut. "Well...darlin'...I'm not all that sure. He just won't go away."

"You tell him to get out. He doesn't deserve to be around you, Chere."

"I've already tried, that Louis...we'll work somethin' out later, ok? Baby, I have to go to teach today. Will you call back later?" I was trying to calm him down. I think it actually worked.

"Of course, mon amour. Don' work too hard now, ya hear me? Dis Cajun ain't 'gone be comin' home t' a sick wife. I love you, Tifa."

"I love you too."

With that he hung up. I didn't notice that I was smiling until the jackass had to point it out.